Myths and Facts

There are a lot of common misconceptions about the nature domestic abuse out there. This can make it very confusing for those trying to understand what is happening in their own relationships. Use our myth busting fact checker to make sure you are armed with the right information

Myth: Domestic abuse is restricted to physical violence.

Fact: Domestic abuse is often thought of as hitting, slapping or beating your partner but it includes a wide range of behaviours, such as physical, psychological, sexual or financial. Anyone, regardless of age, gender, ethnic background, sexuality or wealth can be affected by domestic abuse.

Myth: Domestic abuse is not widespread.

Fact: Even though domestic abuse is still hidden and underreported, it is not an uncommon occurrence. Two women are killed every week in England and Wales by a current or former partner. One in four women experience domestic abuse at some point in their lives. On average, a woman is assaulted 35 times before her first call to the police.

Myth: As many men experience domestic abuse as women.

Fact: It is increasingly acknowledged that men can experience domestic abuse from their female partners, same sex relationships and family members. However it is recognised in research that the majority of domestic abuse is perpetrated by men against women.

Myth: Domestic abuse occurs predominantly in poor, urban areas.

Fact: Anyone can be abused, no matter where they live or how much income they have. Studies have consistently found that domestic abuse occurs among all types of families, regardless of income, profession, religion, ethnicity, educational level or race.

Myth: Domestic abuse is often a one-off incident.

Fact: Domestic abuse is not any single event, rather it is an ongoing cycle of one person establishing and maintaining emotional, psychological, sexual and often financial control over another. It often starts out slowly and becomes increasingly more frequent the longer it continues.

Myth: Domestic abuse is a private matter that others should not get involved in.

Fact: Domestic abuse is against the law and should by no means be kept hidden. The prevailing tendency to think otherwise leads to many women not getting the help they need to regain control of their lives. No crime should ever be ignored because it happened in the privacy of someone’s home. It is our responsibility to speak out against it.

Myth: Domestic abuse is a private matter that others should not get involved in.

Fact: Domestic abuse is against the law and should by no means be kept hidden. The prevailing tendency to think otherwise leads to many survivors not getting the help they need to regain control of their lives. No crime should ever be ignored because it happened in the privacy of someone’s home. It is our responsibility to speak out against it.

Myth: Survivors often provoke assaults and therefore “ask for it.”

Fact: There is no justification for abuse. No one makes someone be abusive and no one deserves to be abused. – Long standing exposure to violence can have the effect of making the survivor believe they deserve to be hurt. It can lessen confidence and may lead them to rationalise their abuser’s behaviour and even defend it.

Myth: You cannot be raped by your partner.

Fact: There is a misconception in society that by marrying or living with your partner, you are bound to comply with your partners sexual demands. If you don not want to engage in sexual activity you have the right to say no regardless of your relationship status. Anybody who ignores your wishes is guilty of sexual assault and/ or rape.

Myth: Only complete strangers become stalkers.

Fact: There is no single stalker profile and most individuals are stalked by someone that they know. Stalking is most likely done out of an obsession and as such is more likely to happen in a situation where it can be fostered by repeated engagement between the stalker and the victim, such as in a workplace

Internet Explorer

When InPrivate Browsing is turned on, you will see this indicator in the address bar

InPrivate Browsing helps prevent Internet Explorer from storing data about your browsing session.
This includes cookies, temporary Internet files, history, and other data. Toolbars and extensions are disabled by default

Browsers store some info—like your search history—to help improve your experience on the web.
When you use InPrivate Browsing, info like passwords, search history, and page history is deleted once you close the tab.

To open an InPrivate Browsing session, right–select the Internet Explorer icon on the taskbar, and select Start InPrivate Browsing.
Or if you have already opened Internet Explorer select the Settings icon to the extreme right side of the address bar.
Doing so will present a list of options, one of which reads Safety. Selecting this option presents another set of options, one of which is InPrivate Browsing.
Clicking this option will open a new window allowing private browsing, and which can be closed with a single click.

Firefox

As you browse the web, Firefox remembers lots of information for you - like the sites you've visited. There may be times, however,
when you don't want people with access to your computer to see this information.
Private Browsing allows you to browse the Internet without saving any information about which sites and pages you’ve visited.

There are two ways to open a new Private Window.

Open a new, blank Private Window
Click the menu button and then click "New Private Window".

Open a link in a new Private Window
Right-click on any link and choose "Open Link in New Private Window" from the context menu.

Safari

When you use Private Browsing windows, Safari doesn’t save your browsing history, and it asks websites you visit not to track you.

To use Private Browsing: Choose File > New Private Window, or switch to a Safari window that’s already using Private Browsing. A window that’s using Private Browsing has a dark Smart Search field with white text.

Chrome

If you don’t want Google Chrome to save a record of what you visit and download, you can browse the web privately in Incognito mode.

The method for starting Incognito may very depening on the PC you are using. The default method in Chrome is to click on the 3 dots to the extreme right side of the address bar. Doing so will present a list of options, one of which is New Incognito Window.
Clicking this option will open a new window allowing private browsing, and which can be closed with a single click.

How Incognito mode worksIncognito mode opens a new window where you can browse the Internet in private without Chrome saving the sites you visit. You can switch between an Incognito window and any regular Chrome browsing windows you have open. You'll only be in Incognito mode when you're using the Incognito window.

Others can see some information
Incognito mode only prevents Chrome from saving your site visit activity. It won't stop other sources from seeing what sites you’ve visited, including:

Your Internet service provider

Your employer (if you're using a work computer)

The websites you visit themselves

Downloads are saved to your computer
Chrome won’t save a record of the files you download in Incognito mode. However, the downloaded files will be saved to your computer’s Downloads folder, even after you close your Incognito tabs. You and anyone who uses your computer can see and open the files.

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